EcoNest Building System

Timber Framing

Bring the integrity of nature into your home. Using time honored building methods, solid wood timbers are hand-crafted and pegged together. Completely exposed on the interior, the elegant wooden framework conveys a very real sense of solidity, permanence and beauty. For centuries, timber frame homes have been passed on with pride, from generation to generation.

In a timber frame workshop you will craft a timber frame and learn wood selection, layout and cutting joinery, safe use of hand and power tools, timber assembly and raising.

Light Clay/Straw Building: Creating walls that breathe

Light clay/straw walls have been used in Europe for centuries. Unlike standard building methods that employ vapor barriers, clay/straw walls actually breathe. Weatherproof yet porous, they allow for the slow transfer of fresh air and moisture much like human skin, contributing to the health of the internal environment in much the same way. One-foot thick, light clay/straw walls are a unique combination of insulation and thermal mass, keeping the interior cozy and warm in winter and delightfully cool in summer.

In a clay/straw workshop you will build breathing walls and learn the variables involved in the selection and mixing of clay and straw, the building of forms, loading and tamping of walls, efficient materials handling and effective teamwork.

Earth Plastering

Light clay/straw walls are ideally suited to plaster because they are perfectly flat but coarse in texture so that the plasters adhere to them without needing lathing. Earth plastered walls are both durable and beautiful. Rich in possibilities of color and texture, these walls exude a vibrancy found only in nature.

In the Finishing Touches segment of Builder Training III you will plaster rough and finish coats, and learn recipes, wall preparation, necessary tools and equipment, curing and coating, natural color and texture options.

Natural Floors

Floors made of natural materials connect us to the earth. Earth and stone floors are not only beautiful they are extremely energy efficient. A floor in direct contact with the earth moderates interior temperature and humidity year round, providing thermal mass for storing solar and ambient heat in winter and maintaining a reservoir of coolness in summer.

In the Finishing Touches segment you will also learn naturally stabilized earth floor construction, finishing, maintenance and stone flooring options.

Create your EcoNest

Can we build an EcoNest for you? Contact us to discuss designing and building your EcoNest.

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